Provided are molds for polar anisotropic ring-shaped bonded magnet molded articles which enable the production of bonded magnet molded articles with a high degree of roundness and only slight distortion, without the need for mold modification and preparation of a test mold, and a method of preparing such molds. The present invention relates to a method of preparing a mold for a polar anisotropic ring-shaped bonded magnet molded article, the method including: 1) determining the shrinkage length (Tc) of a desired polar anisotropic ring-shaped bonded magnet molded article using the following equation: Tc=T×(α1/100−α2/100); 2) determining the radius (Dm) of a magnetic pole portion of a mold cavity using the following equation: Dm=D/(1−α2/100); and 3) defining the outer peripheral shape of the mold cavity from the Tc, the Dm, and the number (P) of magnetic poles of the molded article.

Parts made by additive manufacturing are often structural in nature, rather than having functional properties conveyed by a polymer or other component present therein. Printed parts having piezoelectric properties may be formed using compositions comprising a plurality of piezoelectric particles dispersed in at least a portion of a polymer matrix comprising first polymer material and a sacrificial material, the sacrificial material being removable from the polymer matrix to define a plurality of pores in the polymer matrix. The piezoelectric particles may remain substantially non-agglomerated when combined with the polymer matrix. The sacrificial material may comprise a second polymer material. The compositions may define a composite having a form factor such as a composite filament, a composite pellet, a composite powder, or a composite paste. Additive manufacturing processes may comprise forming a printed part by depositing the compositions layer-by-layer and introducing porosity therein.

A polymeric piezoelectric film including an optically active helical chiral polymer (A) having a weight average molecular weight of from 50,000 to 1,000,000, wherein: a crystallinity obtained by a DSC method is from 20% to 80%; a standardized molecular orientation MORc measured by a microwave transmission-type molecular orientation meter based on a reference thickness of 50 μm is from 3.5 to 15.0; and in a waveform measured with an inline film thickness meter and representing a relationship between a position in a width direction on the film and a thickness of the film, a number of peaks A is 20 or less per 1,000 mm of a film width, wherein the peaks A have a peak height of 1.5 μm or more and a peak slope of 0.000035 or more.

Embodiments herein describe deformable controllers that rely on piezoelectric material embedded in the controllers to detect when the input device is being manipulated into a particular deformation or gesture. The computing system may perform different actions depending on which deformation is detected. The embodiments herein describe design techniques for optimizing the placement of the piezoelectric material in the controller to improve the accuracy of a mapping function that maps sensor responses of the material to different controller deformations. In one embodiment, the user specifies the different deformations of the controller she wishes to be recognized by the computing system (e.g., raising a leg, twisting a torso, squeezing a hand, etc.). The design optimizer uses the locations of the desired deformations to move the location of the piezoelectric material such that the sensor response of the material can be uniquely mapped to these locations.

Provided is a polymeric piezoelectric film including a helical chiral polymer having a weight average molecular weight of from 50,000 to 1,000,000 and having optical activity, in which a crystallinity of the film measured by a DSC method is from 20% to 80%, a product of a standardized molecular orientation MORc measured by a microwave transmission-type molecular orientation meter based on a reference thickness of 50 μm and the crystallinity is from 40 to 700, and, when a refractive index in a slow axis direction in the film surface is n.sub.x, a refractive index in a fast axis direction in the film surface is n.sub.y, a refractive index in a thickness direction of the film is n.sub.z, and an Nz coefficient=(n.sub.x−n.sub.z)/(n.sub.x−n.sub.y), the Nz coefficient is from 1.108 to 1.140.

Articles and methods for increasing the triplet upconversion threshold, e.g., by utilizing a triplet exciton acceptor lower in energy than the sensitizer or upconverter, are generally described. Some embodiments, for example, are directed to articles and methods that use a triplet sensitizer, an upconverter, and an acceptor to produce upconverted photons (e.g., light of a second energy). The light can be used to polymerize a polymerizable species. Other upconversion configurations can also be used in other embodiments. In some cases, this may allow true 3D printing to be achieved due to improved control of light absorption, e.g., without needing to “print” on a layer-by-layer basis.

Disclosed herein are methods for manufacturing a functionally graded polymer material. The methods comprise preparing a melted polymer mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a magnetic filler dispersed in the thermoplastic polymer, molding the melted polymer mixture and applying a magnetic field to a portion of the melted polymer mixture to form a functionally graded polymer material. The resulting functionally graded polymer material has a magnetic filler gradient formed through a thickness of the material.

A level sensor assembly (552) for estimating a level of a dielectric powder (412) in a container assembly (544) includes a first electrode member (554) that is coupled to the container assembly (544); a second electrode member (556) that is coupled to the container assembly (544): and a control system (424). The second electrode member (556) is spaced apart from the first electrode member (554) and configured so that powder (512) in the container assembly (544) is positioned at least partly between the electrode members (554) (556). The control system (424) utilizes a capacitance between the electrode members (554) (556) to estimate the level of the powder (512) in the container assembly (544).

Parts made by additive manufacturing are often structural in nature, rather than having functional properties conveyed by a polymer or other component. Printed parts having piezoelectric properties may be formed using a composite filament comprising a plurality of piezoelectric particles dispersed in a thermoplastic polymer. The composite filaments may be formed through melt blending and extrusion. The composite filament is compatible with fused filament fabrication and has a length and diameter compatible with fused filament fabrication, and the piezoelectric particles are substantially non-agglomerated and dispersed along the length of the composite filament. The piezoelectric particles may remain substantially non-agglomerated when dispersed in the thermoplastic polymer through melt blending. Additive manufacturing processes may comprise heating such a composite filament at or above a melting point or softening temperature thereof to form a softened composite material, and depositing the softened composite material layer by layer to form a printed part.

The invention provides a piezoresistive electronic skin, a preparation method and a use thereof. The piezoresistive electronic skin uses carbon nanotube film as the conductive layer and uses materials provided with micro-nano patterns, such as polydimethylsiloxane, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl formal, polyethylene, and so on, as the substrate, enabling the substrate has advantages of high flexibility and being pliable, and it needs low operating voltage and little power consumption, but has high sensitivity and short response time. More importantly, the invention uses the patterned flexible substrate as the basis, greatly improving the sensitivity of electronic skin reacting to tiny applied force from outside. The invention also provides a capacitive electronic skin and a preparation method thereof. Further, the invention also provides a use of the piezoresistive electronic skin or the capacitive electronic skin on speech recognition, pulse detection, medical robot, etc.